Towards a new Recommendation

on Human Resources Training and Development

The Vocational Training Recommendation No. 57 and the Apprenticeship Recommendation No. 60 were the first instruments,  adopted by the International Labour Conference (ILC) in 1939,  relating to Training and Human Resources Development. These were followed by the Vocational Training (Adults) Recommendation No. 88 (1950), which was consequently replaced by the Vocational Training Recommendation (No. 117) of 1962.

Aimed at covering all the aspects of vocational training and guidance at various levels, the ILO adopted in 1975 Convention No. 142 and Recommendation No. 150 on Human Resources Development (HRD), which mirror economic and social conditions of that period. Then, most countries pursued planned economic, social and industrialization policies, information technology was still in its infancy, work organization in enterprises was largely based on Taylorist's principles, and the labour force was employed in secure wage jobs.

While Convention No. 142, which is rather general, can still be regarded as valid, Recommendation No. 150 contains many aspects which have lost their relevance.

The Governing Body (GB) at its 271st Session (March 1998), considered a proposal for a standard-setting activity in the field of HRD and retained a General Discussion on this topic for inclusion on the Agenda of the 88th Session of the 2000 International Labour Conference. The GB decided, at its March 1999, Session that the specific issue of youth employment and training should become part of the 2000 ILC General Discussion.

For this purpose the International Labour Office prepared and submitted a discussion paper on human resources training and development: vocational guidance and vocational training. Report V: Training for Employment, Social Inclusion, Productivity and Youth Employment highlighted the following issues:

• the new context of HRD and training and the new demand for skills and competencies in an increasingly integrated world economy and the knowledge and skills society;

• the rationale of HRD and training for improved competitiveness, employability and equity in employment, and the respective roles of basic education, initial training and continuous training in promoting and maintaining employability;

• youth employment and training;

• the HRD and training challenge in today's world: new policies and institutional frameworks and new roles for the partners in training.

At the 2000 ILC, the largest Conference Committee (308 members) discussed the Fifth item on the agenda⁽¹⁾: Human Resources Training and Development: Vocational Guidance and Vocational Training.

Following discussions, 167 amendments were proposed to the draft report. At its 15th sitting the Committee adopted, by consensus, the amended report.

A total of 21 Conclusions were unanimously adopted by the General Conference of the ILO on 14.06.2000.

The Conclusions are directed to governments and the social partners and others to the ILO. Those requiring ILO's action are:

• undertake research on a new financial and social architecture for the global economy with education and training as part of an integrated set of economic and social policies;

• develop a database and benchmarks on investment in training, differentiated for region, industrial sector and enterprise size;

• develop a database on best practices in developing a national qualifications framework and a study on the comparability of frameworks based on this database considering professional competency standards and the recognition of prior learning;

• undertake a review of Recommendation No. 150 and prepare a new draft Recommendation, accompanied by a practical guide;

• assist with training in the new information technology;

• promote social dialogue in training.

In the current biennium the Employment Sector is modifying its workplans to give more specific effect to the conclusions. The workplan of the IFP Skills has been reoriented to include the following items:

• Preparation of the draft Recommendation and its accompanying Practical Guide. The IFP Skills is developing a conceptual framework and inviting the member States and the Constituents to provide, on a ad-hoc designed Web-site, examples of good training policy and programme practices that will feed the work on the new draft Recommendation and its Practical Guide.  A proposal (GB279/5/1) has been submitted to the Governing Body to include this item in the agenda of the International Labour Conference.

• Systematic data collection is oriented towards the early delivery of the databases mentioned in the Conclusions;

• Investment in training will be discussed in the Tripartite Asia and Pacific Meeting on Training for High Performance in Enterprises (Bangkok, 12-14 December 2000), and similar consultations are foreseen in Africa and Europe in 2001;

• Research on the development of national qualification frameworks will be initiated as part of the ongoing work on new regional model competency standards. A conceptual framework for this undertaking is being developed at present. This will subsequently be submitted to an informal experts meeting.

¹ See the PowerPoint Presentation prepared by Torkel Alfthan of IFP Skills.  This presentation introduced Report V to the Committee on HRD and Training, ILC 2000.  Also see the conclusions of this Committee.